Jiang Xu was evasive. "Just, a regular buddy. A guy."

Fan Jiajia said, "How about a custom-made lighter?"

Jiang Xu: "...He doesn't seem to smoke much."

Fan Jiajia asked, "Then do you know what he likes? Food or games, his usual clothing style, whether he collects any figurines or sneakers."

Jiang Xu could only shake his head. His mind was a complete blank. Li Si'ao, listening from the side, couldn't help but blurt out his true feelings, "You don't know anything. Being your buddy is some seriously bad luck."

Fan Jiajia deeply agreed and expressed her helplessness with a shrug. "If it's just a regular friend, anything will do. It's the thought that counts."

Gu Qingzhou wasn't the type to be unassertive. Jiang Xu figured he would probably take the initiative to remind him that Friday was his birthday, and then he could naturally ask him what he wanted. Unfortunately, the days slipped by, and Gu Qingzhou made no move. He was just as busy as usual, as if...

He had long forgotten his own birthday.

These past few days, Jiang Xu had been sleeping at his own place, and Gu Qingzhou had returned to living alone. He couldn't quite say what the difference was between Jiang Xu being there or not, only that the small bit of liveliness in the apartment had suddenly vanished. Silence gradually crept in, growing as cold as water in the deep autumn night.

Today was Friday, and the wind was quite strong.

Gu Qingzhou sat quietly on the sofa, listening to the whistling wind outside. He got up to bring in the laundry from the balcony and noticed a black Porsche parked downstairs. He couldn't see the license plate, but the car lights were flashing, making it very conspicuous in the dark. He couldn't help but look a few more times, but he just assumed it belonged to someone else.

When Jiang Xu drove him back, Gu Qingzhou had watched him drive away with his own eyes.

After taking down a hanging white shirt, Gu Qingzhou stood on the balcony but didn't go inside immediately. His hair was slightly tousled by the wind. With one hand in his pocket, he watched silently for a few seconds. Seeing that the car below still hadn't left, he was about to go inside when his phone suddenly rang.

He saw it was a call from Jiang Xu and answered it. The sound on the other end was a bit noisy, then suddenly quieted down. Jiang Xu's voice came through clearly, laced with a teasing smile, "Hey, what are you doing standing on the balcony in the middle of the night, catching a cold?"

Gu Qingzhou was startled for a moment, then heard him say, "Look down."

The wind rustled the leaves. Jiang Xu was leaning against his car, talking on the phone, most of his body shrouded in the night. When he saw that Gu Qingzhou had spotted him, he waved from afar, then locked his car and took the elevator upstairs.

Seeing this, Gu Qingzhou was momentarily at a loss. When he came to his senses, he walked into the living room, closed the balcony door behind him, and tossed the clothes in his hand onto the sofa. He was about to open the front door to go out when he stopped, as if remembering something.

Gu Qingzhou crossed his arms and leaned quietly against the door. He began to silently count the seconds. When he reached the thirteenth second, a "knock knock" came from outside. He counted for another three seconds before opening the door.

Jiang Xu stood outside, holding a box of potstickers, likely bought from a nearby night market. He brought a slight chill with him from the outside.

Gu Qingzhou looked at him. "Didn't you go home?"

Jiang Xu said, "I didn't. I just drove around the neighborhood, bought some food, and came back. Is it okay if I stay here tonight?"

Gu Qingzhou didn't answer. Instead, he suddenly raised his arms, wrapped them around his neck, and pressed his body tightly against his slightly cool embrace. They began to kiss in the entryway, a continuous stream of emotions weaving into a fine net that trapped them both, leaving no room to breathe.

Gu Qingzhou suddenly said, "Jiang Xu."

Jiang Xu: "Hmm?"

Gu Qingzhou said, "Jiang Xu..."

Jiang Xu: "Hmm."

Gu Qingzhou said nothing more. His dark hair was a little messy, which softened his usually stern temperament. He held the back of his neck tightly with both hands, buried his face in his shoulder, still clingy.

Jiang Xu hugged him as they walked inside. He placed the potstickers on the coffee table, wondering why he had turned back on his way home. After pondering on the sofa for a while without finding a reason, he decided to stop thinking about it.

Jiang Xu deliberately asked Gu Qingzhou, "Hey, what's the date tomorrow?"

Gu Qingzhou glanced at his phone. "The twelfth, I think. Why?"

'Right,' Jiang Xu thought, 'Gu Qingzhou has really forgotten his own birthday.' "Nothing. It's the weekend tomorrow, so I can sleep in."

Gu Qingzhou picked up the clothes draped over the sofa. It was clear from his tone that Jiang Xu hadn't checked the work group chat. "A leader is coming for an inspection tomorrow. We have to work overtime for a day."

Jiang Xu really hadn't noticed. "Does that mean I can't secretly play games tomorrow?"

His focus was always different from others'. Gu Qingzhou paused, then asked with a half-smile, "Is this what they call a confession without being prompted?"

He rarely left his office, so he naturally wouldn't see Jiang Xu's little acts of slacking off. Even if he did, he would turn a blind eye, as long as he didn't go too far.

Jiang Xu, who still thought he was being discreet, met Gu Qingzhou's scrutinizing gaze and cursed himself for his quick mouth. Seeing him folding clothes, he changed the subject. "Let me help you."

Most of Gu Qingzhou's clothes were dress shirts, which couldn't have any wrinkles, making them very troublesome to fold. Jiang Xu usually just threw his own clothes into a pile, so he couldn't be expected to fold them well.

Seeing him making a mess of the clothes, Gu Qingzhou took them from his hands and tossed them aside. "It's fine, just hang them in the closet."

He looked at Jiang Xu, still not understanding why he had come over in the middle of the night. But he couldn't deny that he was happy. The room, which had been dead silent a moment ago, was now lively again. It was strange, even if the two of them didn't say a word.

Gu Qingzhou sat down on Jiang Xu's lap, facing him. This position probably felt a little strange to Jiang Xu, because he didn't wrap his arms around his waist as he usually did, instead shifting uncomfortably. "You're blocking the TV."

Hearing this, Gu Qingzhou turned his head and saw a sales ad for some vacuum cleaner playing on the TV. He turned back with a half-smile. He was wearing a white shirt, and since he was at home, only a few buttons were done up, revealing a large patch of his chest and his sexy collarbones.

Gu Qingzhou simply used the remote to turn off the TV. Ignoring Jiang Xu's evasive movements, he leaned in for a semi-forced kiss. Then, as if addicted to biting, he created a series of sharp, stinging sensations on Jiang Xu's lips.

Jiang Xu couldn't dodge or push him away. He felt pretty damn exasperated. "Why are you biting me?"

Gu Qingzhou said, "You lied."

He was referring to Jiang Xu watching TV.

After biting him, Gu Qingzhou kissed him gently again. His heart was suddenly filled to the brim with something, he couldn't tell if it was bitterness or pain. Jiang Xu had always found Gu Qingzhou's collarbones quite sexy. Now that they were right in front of him, he couldn't help but look a little longer, but that was all.

Gu Qingzhou noticed his gaze. He calmly lowered his eyes, his long fingers slowly tracing his own collarbones, sliding down slightly before stopping at his neckline. A silver ring on his pinky finger caught the light, glinting darkly.

Gu Qingzhou pressed himself against Jiang Xu, his voice carrying a dark, seductive quality that was barely perceptible. "Do you feel anything?"

Jiang Xu said, "...I feel like your chest is a bit flat."

Gu Qingzhou: "..."

He looked up at Jiang Xu and saw the suppressed curve of his lips and the teasing glint in his eyes. He shot up from his lap and angrily threw a pillow at him.

Jiang Xu caught the pillow and collapsed in laughter. "You're still getting angry? I'm just telling the truth."

Gu Qingzhou couldn't be bothered with him. He picked up his clothes, went into the bedroom, and started hanging them in the closet one by one. Jiang Xu followed him like a shadow, swaying from side to side as he watched him. "Are you angry?"

Gu Qingzhou raised an eyebrow faintly. "What would I be angry about?"

His closet, just like him, was filled with cool-toned colors. Shirts, suits, and ties were all organized neatly, with no room for error. Gu Qingzhou seemed to think of something and suddenly said, "Jiang Xu."

Jiang Xu leaned closer. "Hmm?"

"..."

Gu Qingzhou actually wanted to ask if Jiang Xu would be a little less reluctant to be with him if he were a woman. But he knew in his heart that it was impossible, and there was no point in asking. So he fell silent. "It's nothing."

That evening, Dou Xun sent him a message on WeChat, asking if he wanted to go out for a meal tomorrow. It was only then, with the reminder, that Gu Qingzhou remembered tomorrow was his birthday. He paused for a moment before declining, citing a work matter at the company.

Dou Xun then called him directly. "You're so boring. You should come out and hang out once in a while."

Gu Qingzhou was emotionless. His birthday meant little to him, but he didn't want to refuse Dou Xun's kind intentions. ""Let's see tomorrow, depends on the work situation.""

As he was speaking, he heard Jiang Xu coming out of the bathroom. He said a few more words and hung up. Jiang Xu had vaguely heard him talking to someone and asked, "Were you on the phone with someone?"

Gu Qingzhou paused. "Just work stuff."

It was the same as always. He wouldn't have high expectations for Jiang Xu. Rather than telling him and secretly hoping for something, Gu Qingzhou preferred to remain silent. Countless past experiences had taught him that maintaining the status quo was the best choice.

After washing up, the two didn't go to bed immediately. They sat on the sofa and watched TV for a while. There was a plate of sliced apples on the coffee table that no one ate. Before long, they began to oxidize and turn brown.